Our elementary school sons use a PIN system, and it really never occurred to me to object. I'm grateful that they don't lose their lunch money or get bullied by older kids who are looking to steal it. They use cash and practice counting change at the school store where they buy pencils and occasional trinkets.
I'm pretty quick to get irritated by people asking for private information, but I guess this is one battle I wouldn't choose to fight. When we were this age, we came home for lunch. School districts can't count on sending little ones home for lunch anymore. I really don't fault them for using an electronic system for lunch money. I think cash should be an option, but at this age many kids aren't good at keeping track of money.
So do we and I love it.
Every kid gets a PIN lunch number when they enroll and the county sets up an account and keeps track of it.
You don't have to use it, you don't have to supply addition info and here we are alllowed to use cash. The parents can even buy lunch at school and eat with their kids.
1st graders can lose their coats at school in the middle of winter. (Least my son could). Keeping track of a buck and some change every day would be quite a challenge.